When we first heard of Samsung’s budget-priced Galaxy Gio, it didn’t seem likely that we’d ever get a chance to check out the handset ourselves, with its planned launch largely relegated to Asia. That was no huge let-down, since the hardware looked pretty similar to other Android models in this niche that we’d seen before. But then, we were surprised to learn that the Gio would be coming to North America after all, and had been selected for release in Canada. We had heard that an August launch was likely, and sure enough, the Samsung Gio is scheduled for release this coming Monday.

Both Bell and Virgin will be carrying the Gio upon release. The smartphone’s hardware consists of a lowly 528MHz processor (we’ve also heard 800MHz mentioned, which would far preferable), 384MB of RAM, 512MB of internal flash storage, and a 3-megapixel camera. The handset has a 3.2-inch HVGA display, and the phone runs Android Gingerbread with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI.

All told, those are some decidedly low-end specs, but that’s also what lets the Gio be offered for the very low prices it’s set to fetch. With a service agreement, you’ll pick up the Gio totally free. If you’d rather forgo any contracts and just pay full-price, the Gio will still only set you back about $150.

For now, we haven’t heard of any US carriers showing interest in the Gio, so expect it to say up north.